Pesto Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Homemade Ricotta, and Caramelized Onions
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
If you are a pizza addict like me, this version is scrumptious!
Ingredients
  • Pizza Dough:
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 2¼ tsp fresh yeast
  • 2 T + 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Caramelized Onions:
  • 2 sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • olive oil
  • marsala wine
  • salt
  • Pesto:
  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ¼ - ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ c toasted pine nuts
  • parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • Roasted Tomatoes:
  • 1-2 lbs cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • sugar
  • Homemade Ricotta:
  • 6 cups organic whole milk
  • 2 cups organic heavy whip cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 T organic white wine vinegar
  • Toppings:
  • asiago cheese
  • fresh mozzarella cheese
  • basil
Instructions
  1. Pizza Dough:
  2. Day before making pizza:
  3. Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
  4. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 24 hours. This allows the yeast to rise fully.
  5. Caramelized Onions
  6. On stove top in medium sized pan over medium heat, add a little olive oil and warm. Add onions and sauté. Add a little more olive oil as they cook and turn heat down a little bit to slow cooking. When starting to brown, add about ¼ cup marsala wine and a little salt. Let onion cook way down til golden brown.
  7. Roasted Tomatoes:
  8. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and a little sugar. Place in oven and cook until roasted, about 20-25 minutes.
  9. Homemade Ricotta:
  10. In a saucepan on stove over medium heat, put in the milk, cream, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a medium heat and boil where it starts to separate. Put in a mesh colander over a bowl until liquid is drained.
  11. To Make Pesto:
  12. In a food processor, add basil and garlic. Pulse until well blended and finally chopped. Add ½ pine nuts and ¼ cup olive oil and run until well blended. Add a little salt and pepper and pulse. Check consistency and flavor. Add oil and seasoning if necessary. Don't want pesto "runny" but spreadable.
  13. To assemble pizza:
  14. Preheat oven to 500. If you have a pizza stone, preheat in oven for 15-20 minutes but if using a baking sheet then don't preheat. Roll out 1 of the pizza balls in desired shape, rectangle or round, to desired thickness, I like really thin crust. Prick dough with fork as to not form bubbles.
  15. Spread basil on bottom to of dough. Add ricotta in small amount around pizza and same with mozzarella. Add ½ caramelized onion and ½ tomatoes and top with a little asiago and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Remember, pizza is a balance of crust and toppings, don't "load up" with too much cheese. Repeat with other pizza ball.
  16. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is browned well and toppings are melted. Pull out of oven and dot with fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil. Cut and serve immediately with roasted red pepper flakes and fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
Recipe by Eatentions at https://www.eatentions.com/pesto-pizza-with-roasted-tomatoes-homemade-ricotta-and-caramelized-onions/